Rope ladder



Feb. 12, 1963 ROPE LADDER Filed Sept. 15, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORI, JOHN w. KLAGES ATTORNEYS J. w. KLAGES 3,077,241

Feb. 12, 1963 J. w. KLAGES 7 3,077,241

7 ROPE LADDER Filed Sept. 15, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN w. KLAVGES ATTORNEYS Feb. 12, 1963 J. w. KLAGES ROPE LADDER 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 15, 1960 INVENTOR. JOHN W. KLAGES Jan-$ 0.4

ATTORNEYS m Feb. 12, 1963 J. w. KLAGES 3,077,241

ROPE LADDER Filed Sept. 15, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. JOHN W. KLAGES ATTORNEYS United States PatentOfiice 7 strain Patented Feb. 12, lfi3 3,077,241 ROPE LADDER John W. Klages, Columbus, Ohio, assiguor to The Columbus Auto Parts Company, Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 56,239 1 Claim. (Cl. 182-196) This invention relates to an improved rope ladder and particularly to a novel rung and tread construction.

in general, the apparatus of the present invention includes a rigid load supporting rung member provided with two plug means, one on each end of the rung member. Each plug means includes a vertically disposed hole through which a supporting rope is extended.

A light weight flexible tread overlies and is supported by the rung member and includes holes for receiving the plug means and ropes. With this novel arrangement the rung member and plug means serve to rigidly support the tread whereby the tread can be made of relatively light flexible plastic material.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a novel rung and tread construction for a rope ladder which combines lightness and simplicity of construction with high structural strength.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel rung and tread construction for a rope ladder which utilizes plug portions of composite construction for securing the rungs and treads to one another and for securing these members to the supporting ropes.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred forms of embodiments of the invention are clearly shown.

in the drawings:

PEG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a rung and tread construction formed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial front elevational view of a rung and tread comprising a portion of the assembly of FIG. 1;

PEG. 3 is a side sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 2, the section being taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top elevational view of the tread of the preceding figures;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the tread and rung assembly of FIG. 2, the section being taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of the tread of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing one plug construction formed in accordance with one aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is another exploded perspective View showing another plug construction formed in accordance with another aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is still another exploded perspective view showing another plug construction formed in accordance with still another aspect of the present invention;

FIGS. 10 through 12 illustrate the method of attaching a supporting rope to a rung portion in accordance with still another aspect of the present invention; and

FIG. 13 illustrates the rope and rung of FIGS. 10 through 12 installed in a modified plug construction formed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates one end of a rung and tread assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention which includes a rung member indicated generally at 29, a tread means indicated generally at 22, a plug means indicated generally at 24, and a supporting rope or flexible member 26.

With reference to FIGURES 2 through 6, tread 22 is preferably molded from a flexible plastic material and includes a plurality of downwardly extending ribs 28 provided with arcuate bottom shoulders 30 that rest on rung member 26. The ends of tread means 22 include integrally molded bosses 32 that form cylindrical inner surfaces 34.

With reference to FIGURES 1 and 7, plug means 24 is inserted in cylindrical surface 34. The plug means is formed on half sections 38A and 383 that include cylindrical surfaces 42 and 44 that conform with and fit into cylindrical inner surface 34 on tread means 22.

ilug means 24 is provided with holes 46 and 48 that receive an end portion 5t) of rung member 2t With continued reference to FIG. 7, rope 26 is formed from a plurality of braids or strands so that it can be separated to form an aperture '52 through which end portion 54) of rod member 29 is extended. A metal reinforcing member or band 54 is clamped around rope 26 below aperture 52 and serves to prevent the strands or braids from separating when a load is applied.

The plug sections SS-A and 3343 preferably include confronting protrusions and grooves, the latter being shown at 56 on plug 38-A. These protrusions and grooves serve to locate the plug halves relative to one another when they are joined together.

The plug halves further include semicircular recesses 53 and 69 which form holes through which rope 26 is extended. A nut 64, preferably of the self-locking type, is attached to threads 65 on the end of rung member 2% after the plug halves have been assembled around rope 26. An outwardly facing shoulder 68 is formed on rung member 29 and engages the inner side of plug section 33-A whereby the two plug sections are clamped together upon tightening of nut 64.

Reference is next made to FIG. 8 which illustrates a modified plug means 24-A formed from plug sections '7tiA and 'l'lE-B. Each of the plug sections includes a tortuous recess 7?, the configuration of which conforms substantially with the configuration of rope 26A seen in FIG. 8. When the plug sections 7tl-A and 7iiB are assembled around rope 26A and nut 64 is tightened to urge plug section "id-A against shoulder 63 and to urge the plug sections together, the tortuous recesses 72 grip rope 26-A and prevent it from slipping when a load is applied to rung member 2i).

Referring next to FIG. 9 another modified plug means is indicated generally at 24B and includes plug sections '76A and rs-s. In this embodiment a rope 26-3 is formed of a plurality of braided strands 78 and the strands are separated into two groups 89 and 82 that provide an aperture 84 in which is mounted a reinforcing member or bushing as.

The plug sections 76-A and 76-3 of FIG. 9 are assembled in the manner previously described with the end 59 of rung member 20 being extended through bushing 86 Reference is next made to FIGURES 10 through 13 which illustrate still another modification of the present invention. In this embodiment a rope 26C is tied around end 56 of rung member 2% in the manner illustrated in the sequence views of FIGURES 10 through 12. Rope 26-C forms a knot 90, FIG. 13, and it has been found, in accordance with the present invention, that knot 90 will not slip under load if it is restrained from turning over by closely confining the knot between side walls 94 and 96 of a modified plug means 24-C as is illustrated in FIG. 13. Here again, the plug means includes plug sections ltltB A and ltlfl-B which are urged against shoulder 68 and clamped together by a nut 64.

While the forms of embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claim which follow:

I claim: V

In a rope and tread device, the combination of, a rung member including an end portion provided with an out wardly facing shoulder and a central portion; a plug means including an inner plug section confronting said shoulder; an outer plug section confronting said inner plug section, said plug sections including aligned horizontally disposed holes through which said end portion of said rung member is extended, aligned vertically disposed holes, and outer plug surfaces of cylindrical configuration; a flexible member extending through said vertical- 1y disposed holes and secured to said end portion of said rung member within said plug sections; tread means overlying said rung member and including an end portion provided with an aperture that includes an inner cylindrical surface which surrounds and conforms with said outer plug surfaces; and a fastener on said end portion of said rung member and clamping said plug sections against said shoulder, said plug sections and aperture in said tread means cooperating to maintain said plug sections together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Argerbright Feb. 9, Elton Feb. 5, Sullivan May 9, Miller Oct. 3, Buckley Sept. 21, McArthur Oct. 3, Bridge Nov. 12, Hendricks et a1 Apr. 20, Linder et a1 Nov. 22, Newman et al. Oct. 31, Klages July 18,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain June 26, Sweden Feb. 18, Netherlands Apr. 15, Italy Feb. 6, Austria Apr. 26, Norway May 14, Great Britain July 16, 

